Light at the End of the Pier: Recovering From Multiple Migraine Attacks

I know that the saying is- there is light at the end of the tunnel- but I took this picture from underneath the Santa Monica Pier. The light seeping through the cracks in the boardwalk above were too brilliant to ignore. It reminded me of that saying as I was just starting to feel like I had turned a corner in what was weeks of horrible migraine attacks.

Now that my migraine disease is chronic, I rarely get visual auras. But when I do that means all hell is about to break loose. In 11 days, I had four attacks with aura. It’s been a week since my last one and I’m just now starting to feel like I’m recovering.

Waiting to pick up guests at the airport. I look like I got beat-up.

I also didn’t allow myself time to heal in between attacks. We had non-stop guests during that entire time. I LOVE having people stay with us and share our new world in LA. But it often falls to me to entertain during the day. It throws off my cycle of writing, nap taking, running errands, etc. So then I stay up late in order to get done what I’ve ignored during the day.

I know I need to be better about it. On several occasions, I did skip out on activities so I could rest. Luckily everyone is so understanding. But of course, I have the fear of missing out.

Now that my travel schedule has slowed down considerably and our guest calendar is a little more free, I’m working on getting back into a routine. That means getting up by 8:30 or 9 am. That means making a smoothie and meditating while I drink it, focusing on my intentions for the day. It means taking a nap in the early afternoon and not at 6 pm so that I can get to bed at a reasonable time. It means taking time for a walk and hopefully soon for a run. It means going to a yoga class instead of just doing my own thing. It means reaching out to friends I’ve ignored while living in my vampire cave.

How am I going to catch up and take care of myself?

I know this sounds simple, but I’m also behind on laundry or returning phone calls. I haven’t finalized a post for the blog or Migraine.com. I have a list of personal to-do stuff, like go to the dentist, which is at the bottom of my priorities. There are only a certain amount of hours in a day that I can be truly productive. And then there are a few hours a day where I may get a little bit accomplished, but I really feel like I stare at the computer screen too long, not making any progress.

It’s frustrating. I have to start small before I’m ready to put on my running shoes. I have to be realistic about how long a task will take and prioritize. It’s a never-ending cycle. But at least this time around, I do see the light at the end of the pier.